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The author introduces himself as “made in Columbia and imported to the USA.” He was born in Columbia in 1940. His parents moved the family several times to avoid riots and unrest; they moved from Bogotá out to the country and back to Bogotá as Columbia’s troubles extended further from the city. The author claims that Columbia should have been rich if it was not for the fighting and loss of hundreds of thousands of lives.
“Due to chronic political instability...violence...corruption” his parents immigrated to New York City. As a college student, the author remained in Columbia until graduating in 1967 with a degree in petroleum engineering. After joining his parents briefly in New York, he located to Texas, having received a job offer in the oil industry. Nieto met his wife in 1963 in Columbia, and they married by proxy five years later. The couple has three grown sons and four granddaughters. Although circumstances with his immediate family have not turned out ideally, he writes of his great love for them. A religious person, the author expresses gratitude to God and to America for the opportunities he has enjoyed.
Rightly called a book of memories, this approximately 200-page work doesn’t follow the format of a standard memoir. Instead, like an expanded bio sheet with expressions of gratitude, the writing style used is a short paragraph followed by a bulleted list of highlights related to a specific area of the author’s life. Some chapters are lists with brief, insightful explanations for each item. Whether it is politicians he admires, places he traveled to, projects he worked on, or other outstanding events, Nieto’s enthusiasm for his topics is contagious. An appendix includes nine testimonials from former employers and family members. Family and travel photos spice up the last section of the book.